Association of Master Trainers

What Association of Master Trainers does

The Association of Master Trainers in the LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® Method is a Denmark-based professional association founded in 2010 by Robert Rasmussen and Per Kristiansen to deliver standardized, high-quality facilitator training in the LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® (LSP) methodology following LEGO's withdrawal from direct facilitator training. Its core product is the 4-day Foundation Training Program, which certifies professional facilitators, consultants, coaches, and learning & development specialists in the proprietary 4-step Core Process and 7 Application Techniques — elements developed by Rasmussen post-2005 and exclusively owned by the Association, distinct from the basic LSP V1.0 elements released under LEGO's Creative Commons License.

The Association serves two linked customer layers: (1) direct customers are individual facilitators and consultants seeking certification, who purchase the Foundation Training and subsequent Post Foundation Training Programs (Building Future Scenarios, Appreciative Inquiry, Talent Management, Rule Breaking Strategy, Business Development); (2) the end beneficiaries are the organizations, teams, and individuals who attend LSP workshops delivered by those trained facilitators. Underlying the offering is a research-backed facilitation methodology grounded in the concept of 'hand knowledge' and drawing on business, organizational development, psychology, and learning research, originally developed in collaboration with IMD Business School, Tufts University and the MIT Media Lab.

The business model operates through a federated trainer network of 16 certified professionals (14 trainer-of-facilitators plus the two master trainers) who deliver identical curriculum and documentation in person across all major global regions. Pricing is quote-based, varies by trainer and geography, and is not publicly disclosed. Revenue is generated from Foundation Training certification and Post Foundation Training Programs, supplemented by a global facilitator community, annual regional meetings, and a published reference book (Wiley, 2014). The Association does not monetize the end-user workshops delivered by individual trainers, who operate independent consulting businesses.

Name

Association of Master Trainers

Legal name

The Association of Master Trainers in the LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® Method

Website

https://seriousplay.training

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Association of Master Trainers is a Denmark-based professional association founded in 2010 by the original LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® architects, certifying facilitators globally through a 4-day Foundation Training program built on the proprietary 4-step Core Process and 7 Application Techniques.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Winnipeg

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices18 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Foundation Facilitator Training Programme: The primary revenue stream is the 4-day Foundation Training programme to become a certified facilitator of the LEGO SERIOUS PLAY method. The training fee covers the comprehensive facilitator manual, supplementary documentation, and ongoing post-training support. Pricing varies by trainer and location.
2. Post Foundation Training Programmes: The Association offers a range of half-day to one-day facilitator development programmes (e.g., 'Building Future Scenarios', 'Appreciative Inquiry', 'Talent Management', 'Rule Breaking Strategy', 'Business Development') available exclusively to facilitators who have completed the Foundation Training. These generate additional revenue from the trained facilitator base.
3. End-User Workshop Delivery (Trainers): Individual trainers (e.g., Robert Rasmussen through Rasmussen Consulting, Marie-Christine Dupont through AVEA Partners) independently deliver end-user LSP workshops to organisations, which is a separate revenue stream for each trainer's business. The Association does not directly monetise these end-user workshops.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Association delivers a 4-day Foundation Training Program that certifies professional facilitators in the LEGO SERIOUS PLAY (LSP) method, granting access to its proprietary 4-step Core Process and 7 Application Techniques. Training is conducted in person by 16 certified trainer-of-facilitators across global regions, with post-foundation facilitator development programs and an online practitioner community that supports ongoing engagement.

Product overview

The Association of Master Trainers offers a unified training and certification ecosystem centered on the LEGO SERIOUS PLAY Method—a facilitated thinking, communication, and problem-solving technique using LEGO bricks. The core product is the Foundation Training Program, a 4-day certification that teaches the 4-step Core Process and 7 Application Techniques. Post Foundation Training provides specialized 1-day programs for continued facilitator development. The Facilitator Community offers ongoing support, resources, and access to regional and global community events. The entire offering is designed to maintain method integrity and quality regardless of geographic location or language.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Foundation Training Program A 4-day comprehensive training program that certifies participants to design and facilitate workshops using the LEGO SERIOUS PLAY method. Covers the proprietary 4-step Core Process and 7 Application Techniques, includes a comprehensive facilitator manual and supplementary documentation, and grants ongoing post-training community support. Delivered in person by certified trainers worldwide, priced via per-trainer quote.
• Post Foundation Training Program Half-day to one-day facilitator development programmes available exclusively to certified alumni of the Foundation Training. Specialised programmes cover LSP applications including 'Building Future Scenarios', 'Appreciative Inquiry', 'Talent Management', 'Rule Breaking Strategy', and 'Business Development'.
• LEGO SERIOUS PLAY Method The core facilitated thinking, communication, and problem-solving technique that the Association trains facilitators in. Uses building with LEGO bricks to enable participants to construct metaphorical models that reveal knowledge, surface insights, and drive commitment, grounded in the concept of 'hand knowledge' and research from business, organisational development, psychology, and learning.

Quantifiable outcome

• The LEGO SERIOUS PLAY method delivers deeper and broader thinking in less time, faster and better decisions, and more effective meetings for everyone involved.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered historical and minor.

• LEGO GrouphistoricalStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe LEGO Company originally funded and oversaw the development of the LEGO SERIOUS PLAY method (1995–2010). In 2004, LEGO acquired Executive Discovery LLC (which held the IP rights). In 2010, LEGO made the basic LSP method (Version 1.0) available under a Creative Commons License and discontinued direct involvement in facilitator training. Since 2010, LEGO's involvement is limited to producing and selling four brick sets specifically developed for LSP use. LEGO does not endorse any facilitator training programmes or trainers.
• Executive Discovery LLChistoricalOthersExecutive Discovery LLC, owned by Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen, funded the development of LSP from 1995. Robert Rasmussen served as COO and President (2002–2004) and Per Kristiansen was responsible for sales and distribution in EMEA. Executive Discovery held all LSP IP rights until 2004 when it was acquired by the LEGO Company.
• IMD Business School (Lausanne)historicalStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessors Johan Roos and Bart Victor from IMD Business School in Lausanne collaborated with Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen and LEGO to experiment with using LEGO bricks for strategy development — the origins of LSP. This academic partnership was foundational to the method's conceptual development.
• Tufts University and MIT Media Lab (Boston)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRobert Rasmussen worked extensively with designers and researchers at Tufts University and the MIT Media Lab over a 15-year period to develop and apply hands-on learning tools, contributing to the research foundation of the LSP method.
• Wiley (Publishing)minorOthersWiley published 'Building a Better Business Using the LEGO SERIOUS PLAY Method' by Per Kristiansen and Robert Rasmussen in July 2014. The book explains the science behind the method and serves as a reference for trained facilitators.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• FranklinCovey: Global corporate training and consulting firm with proprietary methodologies (e.g., 'The 7 Habits'). Comparable as a large-scale provider of methodology-driven leadership and organizational training sold through certified facilitators and consultants worldwide.
• Center for Creative Leadership: Established leadership development and executive education provider. Comparable as a broader incumbent offering experiential leadership and team effectiveness training to enterprises — the same end-buyer segment LSP facilitators serve — but as part of a much wider portfolio.
• Dale Carnegie & Associates: Long-established corporate training company delivering proprietary methodologies through a global network of licensed trainers. Comparable as an incumbent that distributes a standardized training methodology through a certified trainer network model.
• Korn Ferry: Global organizational consulting firm offering leadership development, team effectiveness, and culture transformation services. Comparable as a broad incumbent that competes for enterprise training and team-alignment budgets that LSP facilitators also target.
• BTS Group: Strategy execution and leadership development consultancy that uses experiential simulations and facilitator-led workshops. Comparable as a broader incumbent applying methodology-driven, facilitator-led approaches to strategy and team alignment, similar to LSP applications.

Direct peers

• Liberating Structures: An open-source methodology and community for inclusive facilitation. Comparable because it offers a structured, reproducible facilitation framework (like LSP's Core Process) supported by a practitioner community and training ecosystem, including workshops and certification-style immersion programmes.
• International Association of Facilitators (IAF): Global professional association that certifies facilitators and sets standards for the facilitation profession. Directly comparable to the Association of Master Trainers because both operate as facilitator credentialing bodies with global reach and membership-style communities.
• Institute of Cultural Affairs (ICA) — Technology of Participation (ToP): Global facilitator training organization offering standardized ToP facilitation methods and certification. Comparable because it sells multi-day facilitator training programmes built around proprietary facilitation methodologies, with a network of certified trainers worldwide.

Emerging players

• Mural: Digital visual collaboration platform used by facilitators for workshops and team sessions. Comparable as an emerging player enabling structured facilitation and team workshops — adjacent to LSP's experiential facilitation category but delivered digitally rather than through physical materials.
• Points of You: Israel-based training company offering experiential facilitation tools and certification programmes for coaches and facilitators. Comparable as an emerging player selling tools + facilitator certification in a similar experiential, card- and image-driven methodology space.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCCq_d6dbf4XKafAwMwTNing/featured
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/association-of-master-trainers

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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